Updated 24 May 2025 at 18:23 IST
India Tour of England: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Saturday, May 24th, announced the 18-member squad for Team India's upcoming tour of England.
The five-match Test series between India and England will be the beginning of the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-2027.
BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar attended the press conference in Mumbai on May 24th to announce the squad. Left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh received his maiden Test call-up for the England series.
On the other hand, Mohammed Shami has been snubbed from the 18-member squad for the upcoming Test series following his poor performance in recent times.
It's been almost two years since Shami appeared in a Test match; his last long-format match was against Australia in 2023. Following that, he has played a single red ball match for his country.
Shami made his return to international cricket earlier in 2025 following a 14-year break due to injury. The 34-year-old also missed the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-2025 against Australia.
While speaking at the press conference, Ajit Agarkar opened up on Shami's fitness, saying that he is not fit to play all five matches of the series.
The BCCI chief selector added that it will be tough for the team management to wait for him to be available during the series. He further added that currently, Shami is not fit.
"He has been trying to get fit for the Test series. I don't think he is fit enough to play five Tests at the moment. I don't think his fitness is where it needs to be... We were hoping that he would be available for us at some part of the series. If he is not fit at the moment, it's difficult playing the waiting game... We wanted to try and pick him. But, at the moment, he is not fit," Ajit Agarkar told reporters at the press conference.
In the ongoing 2025 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Mohammed Shami has been representing Sunrisers Hyderabad but has failed to put up a show. The Indian pacer bagged just six wickets from nine matches.
The 34-year-old made his Test debut in 2013 against the West Indies in Kolkata. Following that, he has picked up 229 wickets in 122 Test innings.
The first match of the Test series between England and India will be played on June 20th at Headingley. Edgbaston will host the second game of the series on July 2nd. The third and fourth Tests will be held at Lord's and Old Trafford, on July 10th and July 23rd, respectively.
The Oval will host the final game of the five-match series on July 31st.
Published 24 May 2025 at 15:46 IST